Display Guidelines

Specific guidelines apply when MLS listing content is displayed on Internet websites. Please review the following information and contact PanamericanMLS.com’s Compliance department if you have specific questions, or aren’t sure if your website complies with current MLS Rules and policies.

Broker Listing Exchange (BLE) Websites (aka IDX) in the MLS Rules:

The following is from the MLS Rules and Regulations, Section 10.18: “Use of Listing Information on Internet.” Interpretations and guidelines for complying with these MLS Rules are provided in following sections.

Section 1

Use of Listing Information on Internet.
[Also known as Internet Data Exchange ("IDX") and, at Panamerican MLS, as Broker Listing Exchange (“BLE”)]

Subject to paragraphs (b) through (l) below, and notwithstanding anything in these rules and regulations to the contrary, participants and Members may display on their public websites aggregated MLS active listing information through either downloading and placing the data on the participant or subscriber’s public access websites or by framing such information on the MLS or association public access website (if such a site is available).
The listing brokers’ consent for such Internet display is presumed, in satisfaction of Rule 10.9, unless a listing broker affirmatively notifies the MLS that the listing broker refuses to permit display on either on a blanket or on a listing-by listing basis. Listing brokers that refuse to permit other MLS participants or Members to display their listing information on a blanket basis may not display MLS active listing information of other brokers’ listings.
Participants and Members shall not display confidential information fields, as determined by the MLS in the MLS’s sole discretion, such as that information intended for cooperating brokers rather than consumers.
Listings with the status of active, pending or sold may be displayed and the statuses must be clearly identified to the viewer. All active listings on a participant or subscriber’s site displayed by framing or other electronic means shall identify the name of the listing firm and the name of the listing agent in a manner designed to easily identify such listing firm or agent. Listing or selling office information is not used on sold listings.
Participants and Members shall not modify the information displayed pursuant to these MLS rules. Information displayed shall indicate the source of the information being displayed and the most recent date updated. Participants and subscribers shall update all downloads and ited. than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in the "scraping" and other unauthorized i. o, heir IDX sites or their other website(s) the listing or property address of consenting sellers. refresh all data at least once every seven [7] days; Sharing of the MLS compilation with any third party not authorized by the MLS is prohibited Participants and Members shall indicate on their websites that the information being provided is for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other purchasing. Participants' and Members' websites must protect MLS data from misappropriation by employing reasonable efforts to monitor for and proven accessing, reproduction or use of the MLS database. Listings or property addresses of sellers who have directed their listing brokers to withhold their listing or their property address from display on the Internet (including, but not limited to publicly accessible websites) shall not be accessible via IDX sites. This does not preclude listing participants or Members from displaying on the MLS
Not all listings from the MLS must be displayed as long as any exclusions from display on participants' and Members' IDX sites are based on objective criteria, e.g. type of property, listed price or geographical location.
No portion of the MLS database shall be distributed, provided to or made accessible to any person except as provided for in these rules and/or in the PanamericanMLS.com IDX policy.
When displaying listing content, a participant's or subscriber's website must clearly identify the name of the brokerage firm under which they operate in a readily visible color and typeface.

section 2

Notification by Authorized Participants and Members. Participants and Members partaking in the display of MLS listing information of other brokers’ listings pursuant to Section 10.18 must notify the MLS before displaying said MLS listing information and must make their website directly accessible to the MLS and other MLS participants for purposes of monitoring/ensuring compliance with applicable rules and policies.

Fees. The MLS has the right to charge the costs of adding or enhancing its downloading capacity to broker participants and real estate Members who request downloading of listing information pursuant to Section
Guidelines for All Public Websites (aka BLE/IDX):

PanamericanMLS.com may, from time to time, adopt and/or modify MLS Rules, policies, and procedures with respect to the display of MLS information on Internet websites. When it does so, the MLS Rules and the policies and procedures, if inconsistent with these guidelines, will automatically supersede this document.

1. Licensee must submit a “Broker Authorization for Purchase of Third-Party Product or Service” form to PanamericanMLS.com for each participant/subscriber who intends to establish a website containing MLS content, and must make password protected websites directly accessible to PanamericanMLS.com for purposes of monitoring and ensuring compliance with applicable MLS Rules and data display policies.

2. The following kinds of information are never allowed for search or display on the Internet:

a. expired (status 6), cancelled (status 7), withdrawn (status 8), or pending/do not show (status 4) listings

b. compensation offered to other PanamericanMLS.com Participants/Members and/or the type of listing agreement;

c. sellers’ or occupants’ names, phone numbers or email addresses or other identifying information; or

d. instructions or remarks intended for cooperating brokers only, such as those regarding showing or security of the listed property.

3. A detailed display of another BLE participant's listing may not include any contact information or "branding" of the BLE participant who owns the website, or any of its agents, within the "body" of the listing data. (The "body" is a rectangular space whose borders are defined in each direction by the area used for listing text and photo data; "branding" refers to any marks, images, or language referring to the website owner.) The prohibition on branding or contact information within the "body" of the listing data is intended to prevent any possible confusion on the part of the consumer as to the source of the listing.

4. MLS content authorized for display may not be changed. This requirement does not restrict the format of the MLS content displayed or the display of fewer than all of the listings or fewer authorized data fields.

5. MLS content may be augmented with additional data not otherwise prohibited from display (such as neighborhood or mortgage information) as long as the source of such other data is clearly identified, except that this additional information must lie outside the “body” of the listing data. Display of additional information on pages containing MLS content is subject to approval by PanamericanMLS.com.

6. All displays of MLS content shall include an accuracy disclaimer (see sample text in “Additional Guidelines” at the end of this section). Licensee may include other appropriate disclaimers as necessary (see samples in Data Use Policy appendix).

7. MLS content on BLE websites shall be properly identified by a specified BLE logo provided by PanamericanMLS.com (see logo use guidelines in Data Use Policy appendix). Each listing that belongs to another PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber must be clearly identified as belonging to that listing participant/subscriber. Under no circumstance may an PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber display listings of other PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members in a manner that leads the viewer to believe that they are the listings of the displaying PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber.

8. All active and pending listings displayed shall identify the name of the listing agent and listing office in a typeface not smaller than the type size displaying detailed property information. This identification is considered an integral part of the listing information and must be displayed within the “body” of the listing along with the property information.

9. The name of the firm, company or individual who has immediate control of the MLS content, and/or the arrangement of MLS content, that is being provided on the participant’s/subscriber’s website must be displayed, at a minimum, on either the home search page or the detail report page within the BLE property search.

10. If PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members display on their websites listings that have been obtained from other sources, such as other MLSs they subscribe to, the website shall clearly display the source from which each such listing was obtained.

11. MLS content may ONLY be displayed on websites of active PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members and may not be compiled with data from other sources for use on any websites of non-PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members, even if such websites are owned or operated by an authorized licensee of PanamericanMLS.com.

12. Websites displaying MLS content must be controlled by an PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber and advertised as the PanamericanMLS.com participant’s/subscriber’s website. The website must also identify the brokerage under which the PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber performs real estate sales activities

13. Use of Statistics: Statistics may be calculated based on MLS content and provided to consumers on authorized websites to provide a marketing overview of real estate activity in the Participant/Subscriber’s service area.

14. Use of off-market data for property valuations: Automated valuation models may be provided using algorithms or calculations based on sale activity in a given area. This valuation cannot be referred to as a “CMA” or “Comparative Market Analysis.” The term “estimated value” is acceptable.

15. When displaying listings of other PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members on a website, the PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber who hosts the website must obtain from each consumer who visits the website an agreement to the following terms of use:

a. all data obtained from the website is intended only for the consumers’/viewer’s personal, noncommercial use;

b. the consumer/viewer has a bona fide interest in the purchase, sale or lease of real estate of the type being offered through the participant’s/subscriber’s website;

c. the consumer/viewer will not copy, redistribute or retransmit any of the data or information provided; and

d. the consumer/viewer acknowledges PanamericanMLS.com’s ownership and the validity of its copyright in the MLS content.

If additional services are provided to consumers from the website, such as email updates that include MLS content not permitted for public/BLE website display, the following also apply:

1. The consumer must provide a valid email address and an email must be sent to the address provided confirming that the consumer has agreed to the terms of use (referred to above). A consumer may be permitted to access extended MLS content only after it has been verified that the email address provided is valid and that the consumer received the terms of use confirmation.

2. Access by consumers may be granted only for a limited duration, with such duration being controlled or controllable by PanamericanMLS.com participants/Members and which is not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days without re-activation or extension by PanamericanMLS.com participant/subscriber.

The following rules apply to all materials, whether electronic, faxed, printed or provided through any other delivery method, where the MLS content is being used for public or consumer use. Materials that fall into this category include, but are not limited to, website detail pages, client reports (faxed, printed or emailed), automated email distributions and flyers.

1. Listing agent and listing office must be clearly identified for active and pending listings wherever property detail information is shown.

3. PanamericanMLS.com’s copyright notice must appear where MLS content is displayed.

4. An accuracy disclaimer, using one of the following options or text substantially similar to the following, when MLS content is displayed:

• Listing information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Buyers are advised to confirm all data provided.

The only listing content that PanamericanMLS.com allows to be displayed on public participant/subscriber websites, in satisfaction of Section 10.18 of the MLS Rules, derives from a Broker Listing Exchange data set created and distributed solely by PanamericanMLS.com and solely for this purpose. Display is limited to and consists of the following:

Display of sold (status 5) listings must adhere to the following additional guidelines:

♦ Sale price may be displayed unless specifically withheld from Internet display by seller or buyer

♦ List price may not be displayed (unless substituting for a withheld sales price and specifically coded to indicate that situation)

♦ Name and contact information of the listing or selling office may not be displayed

♦ Listings older than 3 years may not be displayed, except on brokerage websites

These guidelines may be adjusted from time to time, at the discretion of RE PanamericanMLS.com. PanamericanMLS.com shall at all times retain the right to make the final determination as to what MLS content may be displayed on the Internet. PanamericanMLS.com reserves the right, from time to time, to adopt and/or modify its MLS Rules and its policies and procedures with respect to the display of MLS content. When it does so, the MLS Rules and the policies and procedures, to the extent inconsistent with the guidelines set forth herein, will automatically supersede these guidelines

Send mail to webmaster@panammls.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2007 Pan American MLS SA Copyright Notice , Terms & Conditions , Internet Display Guidelines, Last modified: 12/21/07

Send mail to webmaster@panammls.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2007 Pan American MLS SA Copyright Notice , Terms & Conditions , Internet Display Guidelines,
Last modified: 12/21/07